We are all intrigued by what it would be like to have special powers. Superman, Spiderman and Batman cartoons, comic books, radio shows, television shows and motion pictures have captured the imagination of generations of youngsters. But the idea of human-like entities having invulnerability and special powers extends back into the dim mists of ancient history. The Greeks worshiped gods on Mount Olympus with special powers, and Homer wrote about warriors such as Achilles who was invulnerable except for his heel.
Video games have continued this long tradition by providing special modes that enhance the game character capabilities. If a game character completes certain challenges, he or she may be given a period of strength or invulnerability that will allow game character to accomplish “super-human” tasks. Some games have even provided evolutionary processes by which game characters can transform such as from a caterpillar to a butterfly and leave the ground to accomplish wonderful things up in the sky.
While much work and investigation has been done in the past to make video and computer game play more interesting, further improvements and interesting new features are typically sought after.
The technology herein provides a special game player mode (“hyper-mode”) which provides a game player with a period of strength or invulnerability. When a game player has entered the “hyper-mode”, a power meter is displayed on the screen. The power meter provides an indication of a power reservoir the game character can use to accomplish one or more tasks. In one specific exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the power meter provides a power reservoir indication that the game character uses up by firing one or more weapons, and thus functions as sort of an “ammo” (ammunition) gauge.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game character can use up the power reservoir indicated by the power meter by firing a weapon. Meanwhile, however, the game automatically and continually replenishes the power reservoir at a predetermined rate. If the amount of power contained within the power reservoir ever exceeds a predetermined threshold based on such continual replenishment, the game player suffers a detrimental impact. In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game character dies whenever a power overload occurs.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, such as a fighting game, a game character in the “hyper mode” is invulnerable and can attack enemies without fear of being injured or killed. The displayed power meter continually shows an available reservoir of fire power that the game character can use to fire weapons at the enemy. If the power meter falls to zero showing complete depletion, the game character loses the benefit of the invulnerability provided by hyper mode and once again becomes vulnerable to enemy attack. Meanwhile, however, the power reservoir is constantly refilled at a predetermined rate (the rate may be beyond the game player's control). If the capacity of the power meter is exceeded, the game character is destroyed by his own instability.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the same or similar power meter can be used for normal mode game play as well as hyper mode game play. In the normal mode, the power meter or other indicator displays an amount of power or life remaining. One block or graduation of the indicated power meter could, for example, corresponding to some number of score points such as 100 points. In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game player can enter into hyper mode at will by using for example one block or graduation of power or life indicated by the power meter.
In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, upon entering the hyper mode, the hyper mode gauge displays remaining energy that the game player can use to fire weapons at enemies. The hyper mode may or may not have a preset duration of a particular amount of time. The duration of hypermode decreases as the amount of energy indicated on the gauge decreases. Thus, for example, if the game player uses up the energy indicated by the gauge by firing his or her weapons often, he or she may decrease how much time the game character enjoys the benefits of hyper mode. However, the game may automatically replenish the energy indicated by the gauge at a predetermined rate, and so the amount of energy indicated by the gauge will increase if the game player does not fire weapons for awhile. If the gauge ever exceeds a maximum capacity threshold after the character enters hyper mode, the game is over.
In the exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, the game player must carefully shoot game objects while watching the hyper mode gauge to ensure the gauge does not ever become overfilled or “maxed out”. If the amount of energy indicated by the gauge is ever completely depleted, hyper mode is over and the game player is no longer imbued with special powers such as for example vulnerability. On the other hand, if the amount of energy indicated by the gauge ever exceeds a predetermined maximum, the game character may suffer a setback or other negative event including for example destruction.